Strategic Planning Definitions

One of the challenges of strategic planning is making sure that you and your team members have a common understanding of the terms. A goal, for example, may mean one thing to one person and something different to another. 

With that in mind, below you'll find many key strategic planning terms and how we define them at Causey. 

Action Item

  • A specific and measurable task that may take a few hours to a few weeks to complete. 
  • Action items live within goals. As such, action items are completed in pursuit of a goal. 
  • Action items are easily measured and tracked within Causey. 

Assess

  • The second step of the CAPE Cycle. 
  • “Assess” refers to conducting an assessment of your organization. The results of the organizational assessment are used to inform both the creation of a strategic plan and the process of executing it. 

CAPE Cycle

  • An acronym for Champion, Assess, Plan, and Execute.
  • A four-step, cyclic strategic planning process developed by Mission Met

CAPE Cycle Annual Calendar

  • An annual calendar that assigns each of the four CAPE Cycle steps to a particular timeframe. 
  • A simple and extremely useful tool to ensure that a strategic plan gets executed. 

Champion (noun)

  • A person that leads and oversees a particular strategic planning activity. 
  • There are three types of champions:
    • Overall Champion: A person that ensures that the CAPE Cycle and overall strategic planning process is successfully executed. 
    • Focus Area Champion: A person that ensures that the goals within a Focus Area get completed. (Note: Not all plans have Focus Area Champions.)
    • Goal Champion: A person that ensures that a goal gets accomplished. 

Champion (verb)

  • The first step of the CAPE Cycle. 
  • To “champion” means to ensure that a particular component of the strategic planning process is successfully completed. 

Co-champions

  • Two champions that work together to ensure success with a particular strategic planning component. 
  • Co-champions provide mutual support and accountability often needed to accomplish the strategic plan. 

Element

  • A component of "Compass", the first section of your strategic plan in Causey
  • Typical elements are a mission statement, vision statement, values and key metrics. 

Execute

  • The fourth step of the CAPE Cycle. 
  • To “execute” means to put a process in place that ensures that your strategic plan is measured, revised, and communicated in an ongoing way. 

Focus Area

  • A “bucket” of common activity within "Actions", the second section of your strategic plan in Causey.
  • Typical focus areas are programs, fund development, people, and operations. 
  • A well-defined focus area has a multi-year vision (typically three years) that describes what success looks like for that focus area.

Goal

  • A specific and measurable desired achievement that may take several weeks to a year or more to accomplish. 
  • Goals live within Focus Areas. As such, goals are completed in pursuit of success within a Focus Area. 
  • A goal should have a topic, a due date, at least one champion, and often at least one key team member. 
  • Goals are easily measured and tracked within Causey. 
  • There are two different types of goals:
    • Process Goal -- The achievement is a specific process. An example of this type of goal is: STAFF ENGAGEMENT: Document and implement a staff performance management system. 
    • Results Goal -- The achievement is a specific result. An example of this type of goal is: STAFF ENGAGEMENT: Average at least 8.5 on annual staff engagement survey. 

Goal Topic

  • Typically a one- or two-word summary of a goal that precedes a goal. 
  • As an example, the phrase “UNRESTRICTED FUNDING” is the goal topic that precedes the goal in the following:

UNRESTRICTED FUNDING: Acquire at least $150,000 in unrestricted funding within the next twelve months.

Key Metrics

  • A cornerstone measure that indicates an organization’s success. 
  • A key metric can be either an output (number of kids served, amount of money raised, etc.) or an outcome (mortality rate, increased engagement in conservation, etc.).
  • Ideally, a small organization has no more than five key metrics. Fewer is preferable.
  • Key Metrics can be measured and tracked using the Metrics application within Causey.

Causey

A strategic planning software.

Mission Statement

  • A one-sentence statement that clearly states what your organization does and for whom. 
  • Serves as a filter for key strategic decisions. 
  • Mission statements live within the first section of your strategic plan in Causey called Compass. 

"Compass" and "Actions"

  • The two sections of your strategic plan under Strategy in Causey.
  • Section 1: Compass provides an organization with direction and serves as a mostly unchanging “north star”. 
  • Section 2: Actions is organized into Focus Areas and contains the actions (goals and action items) to be completed.

Plan (verb)

  • The third step of the CAPE Cycle. 
  • To “plan” means to create a strategic plan for your organization. 

Strategic Plan

A dynamic, two-section document that guides an organization towards its vision.

Team Members

There are three different types of team members:

  • All Team Members:  Everyone listed within the Settings section of Causey. (They are listed within the Settings section of Causey)
  • Focus Area Team Members:  The people that work together to ensure the success of the Focus Area. 
  • Goal Team Members:   The people that work together to complete a goal.

Values

A small set of beliefs and/or behaviors that guide an organization. 

Vision Statement

  • A one-sentence statement that clearly states what the world or your community will look like when your organization succeeds at its mission statement. 
  • Serves as a filter for key strategic decisions. 
  • Vision statements live within the first section of a strategic plan called Compass. 

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